In order to
become a professional computer forensics expert you need to first get a computer
forensics certification. This is because the law requires that one must be
a certified and recognized expert in order to have their forensic findings
accepted during legal proceedings. In order to pass the certification
requirements, you have to make sure that you have all the necessary knowledge
and skills. These skills and knowledge can be acquired through training.
You can get
training from schools who offer special courses that cover all aspects of a
computer forensic expert. The curriculum is a very well rounded one that covers
not only all the technical aspects of computer forensics, but also the non
technical side as well. This is because the job not all about tinkering with
various electronic and digital devices, it is also about working with other law
enforcement personnel and properly processing evidence in order to be viable
for use in legal proceedings.
The technical
aspect of training focuses on how to locate, identify and extract data from a
variety of digital devices and sources. The aspiring computer forensic expert
is taught a variety of methods and skills that he could use to extract data
from all forms of electronic sources. They can be able to extract data for
evidence even from encrypted sources, supposedly deleted files and even on
intentionally damaged hard drives. These technical skills are balanced with
training on the proper protocol of working with other law enforcement officers
in securing and processing a crime scene, properly processing evidence, the
ethical aspect of forensics, as well as all the laws that pertain to the job of
a computer forensics expert. Processing the evidences should be done exactly by
the book as the courts are very strict regarding this particular protocol. Even
the smallest deviation from proper protocol can compromise the viability of
evidence to be accepted at court.
Once completing
your degree, you can get certification from a variety of international
certifying bodies. You can become one of the GCFA certified individuals
certified by the Global Information Assurance Certification organization. GCFA
means GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst. This is one of the most coveted
certifications in the computer forensics field as there are only currently 2100
GCFA individuals in the world. There are also other certifying organizations.
In order to get the right one, you should first research on which
certifications are accepted and accredited by your government.
Not all computer
forensics certification are equal. It is very important to only get the
ones that are certified by the justice department of the government you plan to
work in. No matter how prestigious a certifying body may be, if they are not
accredited by the government, your certification from that body may not be
accepted.